Injection molding management system

Abstract

An injection molding management system includes: a molding information storage unit configured to store molding information on the usage of each type of molding material used in forming product molding, for each kind of molding; a remaining product quantity calculator configured to calculate the remaining product quantity of each kind of molding; a total usage calculator configured to calculate the total usage of each type of molding material used in the injection molding machines, based on the molding information of each kind of molding and the remaining product quantity of molding; a stock quantity storage unit configured to store the stock quantity of molding material; and an order quantity calculator configured to calculate the order quantity of each type of molding material, based on the total usage and the stock quantity of the molding material.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An injection molding management system for performing stock control management of a plurality of types of molding material comprising at least molding materials  1 ,  2 , and  3  used for forming a plurality of kinds of molding with a plurality of injection molding machines comprising at least molding machines  1 ,  2 , and  3  which each form one kind of molding with one or more types of molding material, the injection molding management system comprising at least one processor configured to execute the steps of:
 storing, for each kind of molding, molding information on usage of each type of molding material used in forming a molding; 
 calculating a remaining product quantity of each kind of molding; 
 calculating a total usage of each type of molding material used by the injection molding machines, based on the remaining product quantity and the molding information of each kind of molding remaining; 
 storing a stock quantity of molding material; 
 calculating an order quantity of each type of molding material, based on the total usage and the stock quantity of each type of molding material; and 
 issuing an ordering command of each type of molding material, based on the order quantity of molding material calculated, wherein 
 calculating the total usage of each type of molding material comprises calculating a total usage of each of the molding materials  1 ,  2 , and  3  for each of the injection molding machines  1 ,  2 , and  3  using the below expressions (I)-(III):
   (Total usage of molding material 1)=(Usage of molding material 1 in injection molding machine 1)+(Usage of molding material 1 in injection molding machine 2)+(Usage of molding material 1 in injection molding machine 3);  (I)
 
   (Total usage of molding material 2)=(Usage of molding material 2 in injection molding machine 1)+(Usage of molding material 2 in injection molding machine 2)+(Usage of molding material 2 in injection molding machine 3); and  (II)
 
   (Total usage of molding material 3)=(Usage of molding material 3 in injection molding machine 1)+(Usage of molding material 3 in injection molding machine 2)+(Usage of molding material 3 in injection molding machine 3).  (III)
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The injection molding management system according to  claim 1 , wherein the molding information storage unit stores, for each kind of molding, weight of each type of molding material of the molding, a sprue, and a runner, as the molding information. 
     
     
       3. The injection molding management system according to  claim 2 , wherein the molding information storage unit stores, as the molding information, at least one of a mold cycle time for each kind of molding, a purge condition for each type of molding material, or a good part rate in forming the molding. 
     
     
       4. The injection molding management system according to  claim 3 , wherein the molding information storage unit includes, as the purge condition for each type of molding material, a correction coefficient for the discharge amount of molding material. 
     
     
       5. The injection molding management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a usage predictor configured to predict daily usage of each type of molding material used by the injection molding machines, based on the remaining product quantity, a mold cycle time, and the molding information of each kind of the moldings; and 
 a delivery period storage unit configured to store, for each type of molding material, the number of days required for delivery of each type of molding material from when the molding material is ordered, 
 wherein the order placing unit is configured to calculate a date on which the stock quantity of molding material reaches a predetermined amount, based on the predicted daily usage of each type of molding material and output the ordering command of placing an order by the number of days for delivery before the date on which the stock quantity of molding material reaches the predetermined amount. 
 
     
     
       6. The injection molding management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a usage predictor configured to predict average daily usage of each type of the molding material used within a predetermined duration by the multiple injection molding machines, based on the remaining product quantity, a mold cycle time, and the molding information of each kind of the moldings; and 
 a delivery period storage unit configured to store the number of days required for delivery of each type of the molding material from when the molding material is ordered, 
 wherein the order placing unit is configured to calculate a date on which the stock quantity of molding material reaches a predetermined amount, based on the predicted average daily usage of each type of molding material and output the ordering command of placing an order by the number of days for delivery before the date on which the stock quantity of molding material reaches the predetermined amount. 
 
     
     
       7. The injection molding management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an allotment calculator configured to calculate an allotment of each type of the molding material to the injection molding machines in accordance with the usage of the molding material used by each of the injection molding machines; and 
 a distributor configured to distribute the molding material to the injection molding machines in accordance with the allotments calculated by the allotment calculator. 
 
     
     
       8. The injection molding management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a communication unit configured to enable the injection molding machines to communicate with each other, wherein at least one of the injection molding machines includes, at least, one of the molding information storage unit, the remaining product quantity calculator, the total usage calculator, the stock quantity storage unit, or the order quantity calculator. 
     
     
       9. The injection molding management system according to  claim 5 , wherein the order placing unit is further configured to calculate the date using the equation D=(S−S′)/C−L where the stock quantity of molding material is S, a minimum stock quantity of molding material is S′, the predicted daily usage is C, the number of days for delivery of the molding material is L, and D is the number of days for delivery before the date on which the stock quantity of molding material reaches the predetermined amount. 
     
     
       10. The injection molding management system according to  claim 7 , wherein the distributor is further configured to dry the molding material and distribute the dried molding material to each of the injection molding machines. 
     
     
       11. A control method of an injection molding management system comprising an injection molding management apparatus connected to a plurality of injection molding machines, for performing stock control management of a plurality of types of molding material comprising at least molding materials  1 ,  2 , and  3  used for forming a plurality of kinds of molding in a plurality of injection molding machines comprising at least molding machines  1 ,  2 , and  3  which each form one kind of molding with one or more types of molding material, the injection molding management apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to execute at least a part of the control method comprising:
 storing, for each kind of molding, molding information on usage of each type of molding material used in forming a molding; 
 storing a stock quantity of molding material; 
 a remaining product quantity calculating step of calculating a remaining product quantity of each kind of molding; 
 a total usage calculating step of calculating total usage of each type of molding material used in the plurality of injection molding machines, based on the remaining product quantity and the molding information of each kind of molding; 
 an order quantity calculating step of calculating an order quantity of each type of molding material, based on the total usage and the stock quantity of molding material; and 
 an order placing step of issuing an ordering command of each type of molding material, based on the order quantity of molding material calculated at the order quantity calculating step, wherein 
 in the total usage calculating step, a total usage of each of the molding materials  1 ,  2 , and  3  for each of the injection molding machines  1 ,  2 , and  3  are calculated using the below expressions (I)-(III):
   (Total usage of molding material 1)=(Usage of molding material 1 in injection molding machine 1)+(Usage of molding material 1 in injection molding machine 2)+(Usage of molding material 1 in injection molding machine 3);  (I)
 
   (Total usage of molding material 2)=(Usage of molding material 2 in injection molding machine 1)+(Usage of molding material 2 in injection molding machine 2)+(Usage of molding material 2 in injection molding machine 3); and  (II)
 
   (Total usage of molding material 3)=(Usage of molding material 3 in injection molding machine 1)+(Usage of molding material 3 in injection molding machine 2)+(Usage of molding material 3 in injection molding machine 3).  (III)
 
 
 
     
     
       12. The control method of an injection molding management system according to  claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to store weight of each type of molding material of the molding, a sprue, and a runner, as the molding information. 
     
     
       13. The control method of an injection molding management system according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to store, as the molding information, at least one of a mold cycle time for each kind of molding, a purge condition for each type of molding material, or a good part rate in forming the molding. 
     
     
       14. The control method of an injection molding management system according to  claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to store as the purge condition for each type of molding material, a correction coefficient for the discharge amount of molding material. 
     
     
       15. The control method according to  claim 11 , the injection molding management system further including:
 a delivery period storage unit configured to store the number of days required for delivery of each type of molding material from when the molding material is ordered, 
 the control method further comprising a usage predicting step of predicting daily usage of each type of molding material used by the injection molding machines, based on the remaining product quantity, a mold cycle time, and the molding information of each kind of molding, 
 wherein the order placing step is configured to calculate a date on which the stock quantity of molding material reaches a predetermined amount, based on the predicted daily usage of each type of molding material and output the ordering command of placing an order by the number of days for delivery before the date on which the stock quantity of the molding material reaches the predetermined amount. 
 
     
     
       16. The control method of  claim 11 , the control method further comprising
 an allotment calculating step of calculating an allotment of each type of the molding material to the injection molding machines in accordance with the usage of the molding material used by each of the injection molding machines; and 
 a distribution step of distributing the molding material to the injection molding machines in accordance with the allotments calculated in the allotment calculating step. 
 
     
     
       17. The control method according to  claim 15 , wherein the order placing step is further configured to calculate the date using the equation D=(S−S′)/C−L where the stock quantity of molding material is S, a minimum stock quantity of molding material is S′, the predicted daily usage is C, the number of days for delivery of the molding material is L, and D is the number of days for delivery before the date on which the stock quantity of molding material reaches the predetermined amount. 
     
     
       18. A control method of an injection molding management system comprising an injection molding management apparatus connected to a plurality of injection molding machines, for performing stock control management of a plurality of types of molding material comprising at least molding materials  1 ,  2 , and  3  used for forming a plurality of kinds of molding in a plurality of injection molding machines comprising at least molding machines  1 ,  2 , and  3  which each form one kind of molding with one or more types of molding material, the injection molding management apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to execute at least a part of the control method comprising:
 storing, for each kind of molding, molding information on usage of each type of molding material used in forming a molding; 
 storing a stock quantity of molding material; 
 a remaining product quantity calculating step of calculating a remaining product quantity of each kind of molding; 
 a total usage calculating step of calculating total usage of each type of molding material used in the plurality of injection molding machines, based on the remaining product quantity and the molding information of each kind of molding; 
 calculating an allotment of each type of the molding material to the injection molding machines in accordance with the usage of the molding material used by each of the injection molding machines; 
 drying the molding material and distribute the dried molding material to each of the injection molding machines in accordance with the allotments calculated by the allotment calculator; and 
 an order quantity calculating step of calculating an order quantity of each type of molding material, based on the total usage and the stock quantity of molding material, wherein 
 in the total usage calculating step, a total usage of each of the molding materials  1 ,  2 , and  3  for each of the injection molding machines  1 ,  2 , and  3  are calculated using the below expressions (I)-(III):
   (Total usage of molding material 1)=(Usage of molding material 1 in injection molding machine 1)+(Usage of molding material 1 in injection molding machine 2)+(Usage of molding material 1 in injection molding machine 3);  (I)
 
   (Total usage of molding material 2)=(Usage of molding material 2 in injection molding machine 1)+(Usage of molding material 2 in injection molding machine 2)+(Usage of molding material 2 in injection molding machine 3);  (II)
 
   (Total usage of molding material 3)=(Usage of molding material 3 in injection molding machine 1)+(Usage of molding material 3 in injection molding machine 2)+(Usage of molding material 3 in injection molding machine 3).  (III)